History
Project
Belize
is a non-proft corporation located in Nacogdoches, Texas, that annually
sends a group of doctors, nurses, and other members travel to the
Central
American country of Belize. The group provides medical treatment
to approximately 1000 people living in the remote villages of southern
Belize. Project Belize developed from a small group of doctors,
dentists,
nurses, and social workers from the Nacogdoches area who were involved
with the development of the East Texas Community Health Clinic in 1987.
The group responded to a request by Amigos International to visit
Belize
and provide critically needed dental and medical care in some of the
more
remote villages of this small country. The experience was
rewarding
enough that the group incorporated and has made annual trips since
then.
In recent years, the group has invited several nursing students from
SFASU,
providing them with an excellent experience in cross cultural primary
health
care.
Each year's
trip is coordinated with the Ministry of Primary Health Care for
Belize,
the Belize City Hospital, and the Chief of Staff at the Hospital in
Punta
Gorda, who makes the final selections of the villages that are visited
by the group. The group has limited most of its work to visiting the
most
remote villages, using mules and hiking to reach several of the more
remote.
The terrain is hilly with lush jungle, very high humidity and
heat.
Each clinic is usually held in the school house in the village or a
community
building. The group takes vitamins, antibiotics, anti-inflamatories,
and
anti-fungal creams and provides a general primary health care
clinic.
Some education on general hygiene and dental care is also provided.
The group
travels by small plane, vans, and hiking to visit ten villages during
the
course of this year's trip. Most years the group spends the
nights
in village school houses or community centers, sleeping on cots and
hanging
mosquito nets. Bathing is in the river and drinking water must be
treated. Project members take anti-malaria medication, polio and
tetanus boosters, and use strong insect repellent.
Who
Receives
Treatment
The
villagers
are descendants of the Mayan culture and live much as they have since
the
fall of the Mayan empire around 800 AD. Thatch roofs, dirt
floors,
and open fires are the norm as is bathing in and drinking from the
river.
They are primarily subsistence farmers and their principle diet
consists
of corn, beans and rice. Most of the groups work is with women and
children
of the villages and the majority of each year's treatment is for upper
respiratory infections, skin disorders, colds, cuts, and infected
sores.
There is a great book that has been recently published, The
Maya Atlas, (available through Amazon.com), that maps the
villages
the group treats. It is recommended reading for those iterested in this
unique culture. It provides detailed maps of the villages and provides
some demographics.
Funding
Project
Belize
is self funded by each years participants, but has received donations
from
several individuals and groups. The
Lions Club and Altrusa Clubs
of
Nacogdoches have assisted in the collection of glasses and funds for
trips
in the past. Several other private individuals have donated funds
for medications and local physicians have contributed sample and extra
medications for the trip. For the past several years, Dr. Robert
Lehmann, a local Opthamologist, and his staff have processed and coded
glasses that have been donated and collected by the local Lion's Club
for
each year's trip.
If you are interested in giving to this effort, send funds to:
Project
Belize, Inc.
Pam Warren Mueller, Treasurer
737 Silver Lake, Monticello, FL 32344
Project Belize, Inc. is a 501-C03
non-profit group. Collected funds are used solely for the purchase of
medications.
How to
Become
a Part of This Effort:
Participation
in each year's trip is dependent on past years participation, one's
physical
condition, and what someone can offer the trip. Medical
orientation
is helpful, but it is not necessary. There are a good number of
tasks
such as crowd control, taking histories using interpreters, dispensing
medications, carrying and treating water, cooking and camp set up that
are equally important. Heat tolerance and the ability to walk hills in
high humidity is a requirement as well as being able to camp out for
the
five to six nights of the work portion of the trip.als and groups. The
group usually uses cots and mosquito nets and spends nights in the
village
school houses. The total cost of the main part of the trip is about
$900
including airfare from Houston. Participants must pay their own
way
or raise the funds for their costs for the trip.
Interested
in Project Belize 2009? Click here. The
dates are: May 21- June 1, 2009.
Click here
for details of Project Belize 2008 The dates were:
May 22 - June 2, 2008.
Click here for details
of Project Belize 2007.
Educational
Opportunities
It
may be possible to earn college or university credit for participation
in an annual trip. In year's past nursing students have gained
course
credit for preparatory work and back ground research on the Mayan
people
and the primary medical needs of Belize. Several of the current
members
of the group teach at local universities and may be contacted to see if
a special tutorial course can be arranged for elective credit.
Contact
the trip coordinator for more information.
Staff
Qualifications:
http://www.projectbelize.org/belize2.html
Project
Belize - 2002
Project
Belize - 2001
A River Runs Through It
Project
Belize
- 2000
Project Belize is a non-profit, tax exempt 501-C-03 corporation. All donations are tax exempt and go solely toward the purchase of medications for each year's trip. There are no administrative expenses as all such costs are borne by the participants. Donations may be sent to:
Project Belize,
% Bruce McNellie
5922 Princess Lane,
Nacogdoches, TX 75961.
Dr. Quinn Robinson is the
medical
director, Pam Mueller, the treasurer, and Bruce McNellie is the trip
coordinator.
For additional information about the group and its work, write or email
Bruce McNellie at: mcnellie@mailcity.com
For more information on this past year's trip, Belize 2000
For information on travel in Guatemala and visiting Tikal National Park
For information on a great hotel near Tikal, Guatemala
For
information about other resources in Belize: http://www.iaqi.com/belize/
Belize
resources
Belize
related news, books and regional resources
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